off-putting

adjective

off-put·​ting ˈȯf-ˌpu̇-tiŋ 

: that puts one off : repellent, disconcerting

an off-putting attitude

off-puttingly

ˈȯf-ˌpu̇-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

Examples of off-putting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And yet for God’s sake, just look at the man—at his dispiriting attempts at humor, his weirdly off-putting outfits, his incessant posting of banalities and faux profundities and extreme-right disinformation on social media. — Mark O’Connell, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026

This tangled relationship between Lestat and Armand, and all the guilt Lestat carries from it, provides a major breakthrough for Molloy’s documentary, and the journalist reacts with giddy, off-putting glee. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 23 June 2026

Political experts contend that messages that seem contradictory to a candidate’s background, as well as drowning voters with incessant ads, can be jarring and off-putting to the electorate. — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026

The strong aroma of marigold foliage is off-putting to deer, especially the signet types. — Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for off-putting

• abutting
• crosscutting
• inputting
• rebutting
• butting
• cutting
• gutting
• jutting
• putting
• rutting
• shutting
• smiting